looking closely

Lately, we've been looking closely. In the meadows, under logs, in the grass. Noticing the little things. And there are many little things around at this time of year! Bugs, slugs, and other creatures, busy crawling and building and eating.

It's fun to find their homes too - intricately constructed little masterpieces. Like this ant home:

Here's a home that we have found in abundance at this time of year: the spittlebug spit home.

More hunting and discovering:

I became a bit obsessed with the mourning cloak butterfly this spring, after learning that it hibernates as a butterfly in the bark of trees over winter and it's one of the first spring butterflies we can see in the woods. How amazing is that?? So last week I was thrilled when we found a mourning cloak caterpillar - the circle of life! 

Here it is, making friends with a snail:

And here's what that caterpillar will become: a mourning cloak butterfly.

Two books that we've used to help us to focus in at the little things around us:

Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder [gorgeous close-up photos of insects]
Looking Down by Steve Jenkins [cut-paper illustrations in a wordless book show the many layers of our universe]

I hope you have fun looking closely at the little things around you this summer!